The following discussion of the background art is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention only. The discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to is or was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of the application.
The human neck comprises of seven cervical vertebrae (bones) known in its entirety as the cervical spine. The cervical vertebrae form the uppermost portion of the vertebral column or spine. The cervical spine is also comprised of soft tissue including muscles and ligaments.
The neck is one of the most susceptible portions of the living body that is vulnerable to injury. The cervical spine is encapsulated in a small volume of soft tissue, which is utilized to prioritise mobility of the appendage over stability. Typical use of the neck requires an extensive range of motion.
Minor injuries to the neck tend to be based upon stress sustained to the soft tissue, leading to a neck sprain or neck strain. Major injuries to the neck tend to involve direct damage to the cervical spine, such as fractures, which can lead to loss of feeling, paralysis or death.
Treatment of an injured neck typically comprises of complete immobilisation and stabilisation of the head and neck in order to prevent further injury. Immobilisation and stabilisation should continue until the cervical vertebrae and/or soft tissue are healed. After this point, physical therapy is typically administered to the victim until the neck is able to self-stabilise without external assistance.
Immobilisation and stabilisation of the neck is achieved by using a neck brace or a neck collar. The choice of immobilisation and stabilisation apparatus is based upon the requirements of the patient. For major injuries, a rigid apparatus is required to completely immobilise and stabilise the neck, while minor injuries only require a soft and flexible apparatus for assisting in the stability of the neck.
Currently, neck braces are designed to immobilise and stabilise the neck. This purpose ensures that neck braces are rigid and disallow any movement. For minor neck injuries, patients would utilize soft collars due to their ability to assist weak cervical soft tissue in supporting and stabilising the neck while allowing mobility of the neck.
Both neck braces and collars have the disadvantage of not allowing patients who have minor soft tissue injury or who have recently recovered from major cervical vertebrae and/or soft tissue injury to engage in active exercise, which may be beneficial during the physical therapy phase of treatment.
Furthermore, known neck braces and collars typically have further disadvantages of not being cosmetically pleasing, and also being invasive and uncomfortable to wear. Consequently, patients might not wear the neck braces and collars as prescribed, which may contribute to their ineffectiveness in treating neck injury in some cases.
It is against this background that the present invention has been developed.